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The Trumpet-Major
With an Introduction and
Notes by Charles P.C. Pettit.
Thomas Hardy's only historical novel, The Trumpet Major is set in Wessex
during the Napoleonic Wars. Hardy skilfully immerses us in the life
of the day, making us feel the impact of historical events on the immemorial
local way of life - the glamour of the coming of George III and his
soldiery, fears of the press-gang and invasion, and the effect of distant
but momentous events like the Battle of Trafalgar. He interweaves a
compelling, bitter-sweet romantic love story of the rvalry of two brothers
for the hand of the heroine Anne Garland, played out against the loves
of a lively gallery of other characters. While there are elements of
sadness and even tragedy, The Trumpet-Major shows Hardy's skills of
story-telling, characterisation and description in a novel of vitality,
comedy and warmth.